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Sunday, August 20, 2006

And the Sun Shined Through

The game started with puffy thick clouds in the sky that caused an overwhelming darkness over the crowd. All you could hear were the screams and chants from the Dodger faithful in blue. The orange and black clad home fans were made sullen by the start of today's festivities. For the second day in a row the Dodgers would fire the first shot. JD Drew slammed his 12th homerun of the year in the first inning and the Blue Crew was up by two.

But the clouds would not stick around forever. Darkness would turn into light. As the sun shined through a Dodger pitcher who has a 3.97 ERA and is batting less than .100 would welcome it with a bang. The sun has some special resonance here. It brings a warmth that satisfies the soul. It's an assurance that everything is going in the right direction. Light allows us to see what we are doing well. Right now the Dodgers are playing good Baseball. They are hitting and they are pitching with all of the focus expected of a professional team.

During the top of the 2nd inning the Dodgers again had another rally. Ethier was on third base and Martin was on first. Derek Lowe came up to the plate with one out. This would be a typical sacrifice situation with a non-hitting pitcher up to bat. Unfortunately for the Giants, the sun made its first appearance. It peeked out during Lowe's at bat and seemed to provide this Dodgers team with a big boost. Vin Scully made the call on the telecast as Lowe decided to take a swing. He hit a single to left. The Dodgers fortunes continue to be good. The surging Dodgers now had a 3 run lead as a result of Lowe's RBI.

To not be undone, Derek Lowe proceeded to pitch a masterful game. He went 8 innings and only stuttered in the ninth. A unfortunate error by Kent on a potential double play ball forced Grady Little to pull him after he loaded the bases with no outs. The score was 5-1 and the tying run would be up to bat. Rock solid Saito was put in and effortlessly struck out 3 Giants. Only one additional run scored on a walk to Bonds. The Dodgers take the series two games to one.

The mark of a team ready for the big show is the ability to climb out of a hole when fortunes turn. The Dodgers had lost two straight for the first time in weeks. The stretch drive was visible for all of the players to see. Oftentimes that strain can kill a team. The Dodgers don't want the momentum created over this past winning streaks to stop. Fridays' game was just dreadful and the prospects for a bummer roadtrip was at hand. Game two of the series came around and the Dodgers proved they are still in command. They slammed the Giants with authority. Now the Dodgers have a new two game winning streak to maintain as the final few laps of the race approach. May the checkered flag wave with shades of Blue.